Italy’s repechage to the World Cup: Carlo Verdone also jumps into the fray

Carlo Verdone, a great soccer fan and Roma fan, also had his say on the possibility of a repechage of the Italian national team ahead of the World Cup, which will feature Canada, Mexico and the United States starting June 11 and ending July 19. “I don’t like certain things,” the famous Roman actor premised, “We have to be sportsmen, Iran has to go to the World Cup. Italy lost in Bosnia, the story is closed and we will start again with another coach and another mentality.”

A position, that of Verdone, shared also by Sky journalist Fabio Caressa, who in recent days had expressed himself sharply: “Frankly, I find some videos I have seen of jubilation shameful. One does not exult. One respects the rules. Having said that, I think the percentage of getting repechaged, at the moment, is zero.” Caressa had then added a broader reflection: “Iran out of the World Cup would mean that the war goes on, that sport loses its meaning of bringing people together even in times of difficulty. This is an important thing, much more important than a repechage of the national team.”

And yet the situation continues to evolve rapidly. The case holding the headlines these hours concerns Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, who was reportedly turned away at Toronto Pearson Airport along with his delegation after being subjected to what was called “unacceptable behavior by immigration officials.” The Iranian Federation spoke of an “insult to one of the most honorable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces,” pointing out that the delegation “returned to Turkey on the first available flight.”

Despite the diplomatic affair, FIFA President Gianni Infantino wanted to close any glimmer of ambiguity at the opening of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, declaring that “Iran will certainly be present at the 2026 World Cup and will play its three matches as scheduled in the United States.” It was a clear stance that caused the odds regarding a possible repechage of the Azzurri to collapse. Iran’s technical commissioner Amir Ghalenoei was on the same page: “There is no reason not to participate in the World Cup. God willing, we will do it.”